GCSW student, Jamie Chinn named a Hogg Scholar

Hogg
Foundation Awards Scholarship to University of Houston Graduate Student

AUSTIN,
Texas – Jamie Chinn, a student at the University of Houston’s Graduate College
of Social Work, is one of 11 students in Texas to receive the 2012 Ima Hogg
Scholarship for Mental Health. The $5,000 scholarships are awarded to graduate
students of social work who have demonstrated a strong commitment to providing
mental health services after graduation.

Ms. Chinn
graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Prairie View A&M
University. After working as a direct care professional at Bethesda Lutheran
Home, a community for people with mental and physical disabilities, she
realized she wanted to supplement her passion for service with the clinically
relevant experience and knowledge that come with a master’s degree.

Ms. Chinn
aspires to become a clinical social worker with a specialization in mental
health disparities, contributing to the field by addressing issues of cultural
competency during diagnosis and disparities in treatment among different populations.

“I truly
believe that a rich life consists fundamentally of serving others,” Ms. Chinn
said. “Social work is not only just about social justice, empowerment and
advocacy, but simple human nature of caring for and enriching the lives of
people who are often times stigmatized by mainstream society. This scholarship
has definitely cemented my educational goals. In my career as a social worker,
I hope to contribute to de-stigmatizing mental illness and bringing together
interdisciplinary teams to address gaps in treatment of mental illness within
the black community.”

The Ima
Hogg Scholarship for Mental Health, established in 1956, addresses the need for
more trained social workers who can deliver quality mental health services for
Texans.

“Over fifty
years after this scholarship program was established by Miss Hogg, it continues
to be significant as Texas faces a widening gap between demand for and
availability of mental health professionals,” said Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr.,
executive director of the Hogg Foundation.

The
Hogg Foundation advances recovery and wellness in Texas by funding mental
health services, policy analysis, research and public education. The foundation
was created in 1940 by the children of former Texas Gov. James S. Hogg and is
part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of
Texas at Austin.